First time cruisers!! Got an awful lot of ???

[jenny1976]

Hey Guys and Gals!!!
Well, it's official...We Leave on a 3 night Bahamian Cruise on May 13th to be followed by a 3 night stay in OKW. And...as first time cruisers, we have a whole bunch of questions so bear with me...
1 If you get a ressie at Palo, do you miss eating in one of the other 3 restaurants? How do you know which? Is there an order?
2 How much is it to have a meal @ Palo?
3 Is there a special night that requires more formal attire?
4 If you go on a tour, does it include the meal?
5 When is the Sailaway Party?
6 What does the cruise NOT include?
7 How easy is it to get on and off the ship, thinking of my wheelchair here, and are there specific times to get on an off? Once you go to an excursion, can you return whenever?
8 Is character interaction only for kids? Does it happen only in the kids section?
9 What night are the fireworks?
10 What is there to do @ Castaway Cay?
11 What is there to do near the dock?
12 what show is your favorite?
13 Is there something on the boat we should not miss?
14 Are there any character meals?
15 Can you do something special to celebrate a birthday? Will they help you arrange it? Who do you call?
16 Which are the best restaurants?
17 Are there souveniers other than the typical commercial Disney ones?
18 What characters are usually on board?
19 Is there a Front Desk/COncierge type thing?
20 Are there ATM's on board or should you take cash? What do you take cash for?
Well, these are just for starters...
Thanks in advance!

[ElenitaB]

No joking! There are a lot of questions!

I'll take a stab below:

1 Palo - if you dine one night at Palo, you will miss dining in one of the restaurants. Unfortunately, you won't know what "rotation" you have until you board the ship.
2 Palo dinner (only dinner is offered on the 3-night) - there is an extra $15 charge plus tip. There is a definite dress code for Palo and they will refuse service if you don't meet it.
3 Formal attire - there is one night that is "fancier" but it's not required. You are requested not to wear cut-offs or tube tops to dinner though (and again, I've seen people in both... on the more formal night, on our first cruise).
4 Tours and meals - it depends on the tour.
5 Sailaway Party - it starts around 4:00, shortly before departure.
6 Not included - specialty drinks (cappuccinos, smoothies), alcoholic drinks, tips
7 Wheelchair - won't be a problem. Specific times to get on and off - depends on where you are... but generally once the gangplank is down, you're free to come and go as you please. Excursion return time - once your excursion is over, you are free to board again.
8 Character interaction - definitely not a kid-only thing! Every morning your "navigator" will have a list of which characters will be appearing and where/when.
9 Fireworks - the night after you visit Bermuda
10 Castaway Cay - besides the normal beach activities, there are also bikes for rent, stingrays to pet (at extra cost and must be booked ahead of time), food and ice cream to eat, kid's club should they want to visit, shops to visit
11 What is there to do near the dock? Not sure which dock you mean.
12 Favorite show - Disney Dreams
13 Don't misses: for me, the spa. For my DS, the kids' club (and it's a ship )
14 Character meals - On the three day, there aren't any. There are scheduled meet and greet times with the characters though both on the ship and at Castaway Cay.
15 Birthday celebrations - they know whose birthday it is because you must give them all birth dates when you book. They'll bring a cake out.
16 Best restaurants - they're all good! Depends on if you're looking for something more formal or more informal.
17 Souvenirs - lots of "typical" (tshirts, mugs, etc.) that are themed to DCL. I did find some nice things on Castaway Cay.
18 Characters on board - we've seen lots of characters but not Pooh and gang. You'll also see characters from Hercules who you won't see in the parks.
19 Front Desk/Concierge - Guest services on deck 3.
20 ATM - you can get cash from guest services. No ATM.

Now you have me jonesing for another cruise... not fair!

[Ed]

I'll add a few comments (in red) ~~~

No joking! There are a lot of questions!

I'll take a stab below:

1 Palo - if you dine one night at Palo, you will miss dining in one of the restaurants. Unfortunately, you won't know what "rotation" you have until you board the ship.
2 Palo dinner (only dinner is offered on the 3-night) - there is an extra $15 per person charge plus tip. There is a definite dress code for Palo and they will refuse service if you don't meet it.
3 Formal attire - there is one night that is "fancier" but it's not required. You are requested not to wear cut-offs or tube tops to dinner though (and again, I've seen people in both... on the more formal night, on our first cruise).
4 Tours and meals - it depends on the tour.
5 Sailaway Party - it starts around 4:00, shortly before departure from Port Canaveral.
6 Not included - specialty drinks (cappuccinos, smoothies), alcoholic drinks, tips
7 Wheelchair - won't be a problem. Specific times to get on and off - depends on where you are... but generally once the gangplank is down, you're free to come and go as you please. Excursion return time - once your excursion is over, you are free to board again.
8 Character interaction - definitely not a kid-only thing! Every morning your "navigator" will have a list of which characters will be appearing and where/when.
9 Fireworks - the night after you visit Bermuda (make that NASSAU - If you're in Bermuda, you're on the wrong ship!)
10 Castaway Cay - besides the normal beach activities, there are also bikes for rent, stingrays to pet (at extra cost and must be booked ahead of time), food and ice cream to eat, kid's club should they want to visit, shops to visit. FYI, there are special wheelchairs available at CC with huge wheels that are designed for use on sand.
11 What is there to do near the dock? Not sure which dock you mean.
12 Favorite show - Disney Dreams
13 Don't misses: for me, the spa. For my DS, the kids' club (and it's a ship )
14 Character meals - On the three day, there aren't any. There are scheduled meet and greet times with the characters though both on the ship and at Castaway Cay.
15 Birthday celebrations - they know whose birthday it is because you must give them all birth dates when you book. They'll bring a cake out.
16 Best restaurants - they're all good! Depends on if you're looking for something more formal or more informal.
17 Souvenirs - lots of "typical" (tshirts, mugs, etc.) that are themed to DCL. I did find some nice things on Castaway Cay.
18 Characters on board - we've seen lots of characters but not Pooh and gang. You'll also see characters from Hercules who you won't see in the parks.
19 Front Desk/Concierge - Guest services on deck 3.
20 ATM - you can get cash from guest services. No ATM.

Now you have me jonesing for another cruise... not fair! Me, too!!!

[ElenitaB]

Thanks for the corrections/clarifications, Ed!

9 Fireworks - the night after you visit Bermuda (make that NASSAU - If you're in Bermuda, you're on the wrong ship!)

Why can't I ever get those islands right? (Can I use "I don't get off the ship anyway" as my excuse? )

[drrae2b]

IF we decide to book, it would also be our first cruise. We are thisclose to booking, but we still have a few reservations (my DH is unenthused, to say the least...). I have NO idea what to expect, but I've been reading a lot of people's trip reports and getting some neat ideas.

Are you traveling with kids?

Wanna keep in touch? Maybe we can chill together onboard.